About Tulsa County, OK

When our children were little, the words, "Oh be careful little tongue what you say..." were a part of a children's song we taught them. We'd sing the song over and over and talk about being careful what you say about others.

The words came to mind this morning when I jumped on my computer and saw the story about Lori and Sarah Drew. You may remember them as the mother and daughter team who drove a 13 year old girl to commit suicide in her bedroom after sending her a message through MySpace that said the world would be a better place without girls like her. Click here to see a pic of the mother and daughter.

Now, this post isn't to judge these two in regards to their actions that day, although I will admit that what they did was wrong in so many ways (in my opinion).

What I see here is a lesson for all of us. When you are self-employed, as the mother was (and I suppose, still is), you have to bring an extra measure of level headedness and control to your daily life. What you say in person or on line can have significant ramifications. Am I saying you have to be censored...to give up your freedom of speech in order to be a successful real estate professional? Nope. If you want to say something, by all means get out there and say it! But, if you are smart, you will use self-censorship in large portions on a regular basis.

Why? Because look what happened to this lady...no that isn't right...this woman, in this situation. According to the article in the New York Times, her cell phone number popped up in blogs across the Internet. Then she started getting hateful phone calls. Supposedly someone hacked into her cell phone account and changed her greeting to something that wasn't very nice. Further ramifications included the companies that her business worked with getting targeted. The article doesn't say what happened to her business, but I'm willing to bet it took a serious hit.

Being only a Sophomore in the world of Real Estate, I am reminded how important it is to behave yourself out there in the big world. Be careful what you say, both on the job and in private. Especially in the blogosphere and on social networking sites. And if you're ever tempted to do something like Lori and Sarah Drew did, remember that we're the adults here. It is our job to teach the kids by our example - especially the impressionable 13 year old teens who have so much access to the adult world and so little experience in dealing with what they find there.

It wil be interesting to see what the punishment ends up being in this case. The mother could face prison and a hefty fine. And the daughter? I don't guess she's facing any charges, but I'll bet her dating life is...interesting! And how about the mom of the 13 year old who killed herself? She can sue this mom and daughter and make their lives a living hell for a long time to come. Talk about giving someone control over your life??? Wow!

Have a great Black Friday and watch that tongue. It can be a crafty little beast! Make it say something nice to someone today.

Many of us in Tulsa , Oklahoma have been worried about the slumping national economy and tightening credit. But from the looks of it, Tulsa is doing quite well in the commercial real estate market.

Over the past year, more than 575,000 square feet of office space has been absorbed by commercial renters. Another 2.25 million square feet of industrial space was also absorbed this past year. Unlike the residential real estate market, commercial properties have seen less than 1% of default properties.

Tulsa is located in the northeastern section of Oklahoma . It's surrounded by wooded terrain and rolling green hills, making it one of the most beautiful places to live. Tulsa sits along Interstate 44 & 244 for added convenience. The area also has a pleasant climate making it even more perfect.

Tulsa's current economy is primarily made up of telecommunications, energy, manufacturing, aerospace, and transportation. Tulsa is also surrounded by several other great communities that would be ideal areas to start a business and raise a family.

So, if you are looking to start a business, we think Tulsa , Oklahoma is the place to do it.

Tulsa, Oklahoma Real Estate

Tulsa's Schools

I'll admit it. I held off plunging into Facebook for a long time. This was mostly because I own three teenagers who have been Facebooking and MySpacing for years. It's a kid thing right?

WRONG!

I finally took the plunge a few weeks ago after reading Jason Crouch talk about social networking and real estate. Click here to read his post.

Facebook is very easy to set up and install and it is FREE, which is great. Once you set up your account and upload a pic, you can go pick your high school and graduation year and click the search button and guess what happens? Anyone from your school and that year who is on Facebook will pop up. You can then ask them to be your friend, which is how you build your social network. You can do this same thing with places of business where you have worked (not all are on there). You can also search for friends by name. Pretty cool.

Once you get up and going, you type in what you are doing. For example, I just went over to Facebook and typed "Bob is blogging about Facebook." That's it. Now, what I typed will be taken and seamlessly integrated into the pages of the other 118 people that I network with. When I list a house or work with a client, I post that. Why? It shows I'm a highly successful Realtor!!! And everytime you post something like that, all those people who you are networked with, see it. LaShawn Norden is a pro at this sort of thing!

Still not convinced? Here's some reasons to take the plunge...

1. You can set up a group specific to YOU. I haven't done this yet, but soon the Bob Haywood Real Estate Group will come alive on Facebook. In that group, you can have FANS (people who adore you) and you can write specific messages to all your people who join up. How cool is that for promoting your real estate career! Just listed a new house? Let everyone know through your Facebook!

2. You can find hard to reach clients. For example, I have a client who lives in Missouri. We've been trying to get a contract on his house here negotiated. Last weekend I really needed to talk to him. I couldn't get him by email or phone all day Friday. Ugh. On Saturday I was on Facebook and guess who showed up as being "On line?" Yep, my client. We were able to chat through Facebook and take care of our business. VERY COOL! This can be used to reach other Realtors too, if they are on Facebook. I needed to get a hold of an associate last weekend to submit an offer. I left her a message on her phone. After a few hours of no reply, I jumped on Facebook and sent her broker a message letting her know I was needing to talk to the lady from her office. Guess what? A few minutes later, my phone rang! (This wasn't a hateful, "Hey where the heck is that woman kind of thing, but rather a friendly, "I'm looking for such and such to submit an offer. Do you know if she's in town this weekend?")

3. I am one of only TWO people in my entire office on Facebook. We have a lot of non techie types in our office. Guess what that means? Me and one other Realtor in our office are the only two people working this Sphere of Influence! Rock and Roll!

4. You can keep up with other Realtors in your area. We have a group dedicated to Owasso Realtors. It is new, but I'm learning people's names and seeing their pics. This is very helpful, when you are dealing with someone on the other side of a transaction.

5. Your Active Rain blog can seamlessly be integrated into your Facebook page. Guess what that makes you? A PRO!

6. Do you get bored at your Open Houses when it is slow? Take your laptop along, jump on line and tell everyone you're doing an open house and to come see you. How cool is that???

Now to be fair, there are some features about Facebook I don't like. It is a social network, so people will do things like throw virtual snowballs at you and send you requests to take a quizzes and stuff. But hey, for all the benefit you get, it's worth a snowball or two!

And in today's economic mess, getting an advatage is more important that ever...

Tulsa, Oklahoma has a great motto: "It's a good thing you're in Tulsa ." Those living in Tulsa can see these words all over the city on billboards, buses and television. So, if you live in Tulsa , give yourself a pat on the back. If you're looking to buy a home in a great city with a good housing market, Tulsa is the place to be.

Tulsa's property values have been stable for some time now and have been slightly increasing during 2008. Although new home construction has slowed, existing home inventory has done great. So, because of this great housing market, many Realtor associations across the state of Oklahoma have adopted their own motto. If you're in Oklahoma City , Oklahoma , you will find "It's a good thing to be in Oklahoma City " advertised everywhere.

While the national housing market has been gloomy lately, the Tulsa housing market has almost been unaffected by the fall. Since Tulsa is situated in the central part of the country, it just hasn't experienced the huge increase of home values like Nevada , California , Florida and others did. So, in turn, the housing market has been able to remain stable.

Tulsa's economy has also held strong while other cities around the country are seeing a drop in their economy. Gas and oil have continued to help boost Tulsa 's economy and maintain job growth.

Recent statistics about Tulsa 's housing market show that home sales are slightly down, but the average home price is up 8.4% over the last four years.

To show how positive most people feel about the strong economy in Tulsa , the United Way is kicking off their annual fundraiser with a goal of over $23 million. That's a huge goal, but it can be met in Tulsa . In the Veros Real Estate Solutions latest report, it listed Tulsa as having the 5^th strongest market in the Nation.

"It's a good thing you're in Tulsa," with such great news about the home-selling and home-buying market, why go anywhere else?

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HIDDEN DAMAGE

The other day I went out to inspect a Condo that I manage. The Condo received water damage as a result of heavy rains and high winds. The flat roof buildings had water backed up due to drains clogged by leaves and acorns. In addition, the wind blew from directions that they normally would not, and water always finds a path of least resistance.

High winds associated with storms such as blizzards, tropical storms, hurricanes and tornadoes damage homes and businesses in all parts of the country all year long. Most damage may seem obvious like a collasped wall or roof. However much of the time there remains hidden damage that stays that way for a long period of time. The longer it remains unrepaired chances are greater for decay and increased repair costs. When inspecting your home or business for hidden damage, check every nook and cranny.

Cracked Walls

Look for cracks in areas that weren't there previously. Multiple cracks as small as a quarter inch are signs that the building has settled and the walls may have shifted. Pay special attention around doors and windows.

Foundation

Visible cracks in the foundation are a sigh of beginning structural damage. Check for levelness of floors. Homes built on a slab where floors are tilting and walls cracking as a result of the shifting and settling may require piering.

Inspect walls and ceilings for yellow/brown stains that signify water damage and or roof damage. Damaged gutters can cause harm to the interior of your home as well. Don't forget to check unused areas, such as storage rooms, closets, crawl spaces etc. Don't skip an area just because your not using that part of the house. Remember heading off trouble before it happens saves aggravation, time and money.